The Atlanta Hawks have agreed to trade Buddy Hield, Ryan Nembhard and cash to the Charlotte Hornets for Dorian Finney-Smith, a story broken by Shams Charania of ESPN and confirmed by other reports.
The Hawks have been trying to get off Hield's salary — $9.7 million this season, a $10.1 million player option for next season — all summer, as well as deal with a roster crunch of too many standard contracts. This two-for-one trade, plus the waiving of Devin Carter, solves all of that.
Atlanta also gets to take a flier on Finney-Smith. The 33-year-old played just 37 games last season for the Rockets due to ankle surgery, and put up career-low numbers in the games when he did get on the court (which is why the Rockets spent three second-round picks in a salary dump trade with Charlotte earlier this summer). If he bounces back, this is a plus for the Hawks because every team could use more quality 3&D wings. As for the financial end, Finney-Smith will make $13.3 million this season and has two years, $26.7 million on the books after that, but none of that future salary is guaranteed. If they choose, Atlanta can walk away from Finney-Smith after this season.
Charlotte adds Hield, 33, who played in 51 games last season between Golden State and Atlanta, and averaged 7.6 points per game while shooting 34.9% from 3-point range (the lowest percentage of his career). Charlotte now heads into training camp with a roster crunch of its own and essentially has one spot to give between Hield, Nembhard, Pat Connaughton and Tidjane Salaün. Nembhard, who showed promise as a rookie with Dallas last season, might be the guy to go with because of his future potential.
Don't be surprised to see another trade from Charlotte to deal with that crunch.
A start that couldn’t have begun any better ended in a most frustrating way for Zack Wheeler on Tuesday night.
The veteran right-hander set a club record by opening the game with seven consecutive strikeouts – including the 2,000th of his career — only to walk off the mound a victim of the oldest adage in baseball.
It’s a game of inches.
Ultimately, Wheeler was a happy man. His Phillies rallied for three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to beat the Milwaukee Brewers, 6-4, and lower their magic number for clinching a postseason berth to two.
In what was likely his final start of the regular season, Wheeler struck out 11 batters in 5 2/3 innings but couldn’t hold a 3-0 lead as the Brewers reached him for a single run in the fourth and two in the sixth.
Garrett Mitchell scored the Brewers’ run in the fourth inning on a sacrifice fly. He initially reached base on a soft pop up that clanged off back-pedaling third baseman Bryson Stott’s glove and was ruled a hit.
Both of the runs in the sixth came with two outs after catcher J.T. Realmuto narrowly missed gunning down David Hamilton as he reached third base on the front end of a double steal.
After the double steal, William Contreras smacked a soft liner to center field to score two runs and tie the game. Contreras’ hit, on a first-pitch sinker that was in and off the plate, came off the bat at just 83 mph and sailed inches beyond the lunge of shortstop Trea Turner. The next batter, Jake Bauers, stroked an 80-mph ground-ball single just out of Turner’s range, ending Wheeler’s night at 101 pitches.
Wheeler could conceivably start the season finale Sunday against Tampa Bay. But if the Phillies wrap up a postseason berth before then, he would be held out of the start and saved for the postseason opener next Tuesday. If that ends up being the case, Wheeler will finish the regular season with a 3.06 ERA in 27 starts, not bad for a guy who missed the final six weeks of the 2025 season with a blood clot in his right shoulder and surgical procedure to remove a rib.
The Phillies’ bats came alive with three two-out runs in the eighth inning. Bryson Stott broke the tie with a single up the middle and a second run scored on an errant throw. Brandon Marsh then doubled home the third run, capping a three-RBI night. He belted a two-run homer in the second inning. It was his first homer since August 13, a span of 80 at-bats.
Jhoan Duran allowed a run in the ninth before closing it out.
Wheeler’s seven straight strikeouts to open the game broke the team record of six, set by Brandon Duckworth on August 5, 2001 against the Dodgers.
STACKING WINS: The Cubs have won three consecutive series for the first time since July 7-19 and four of five for the first time since Aug. 3-19. They are 26-23-3 in all series this year, including 12-11-2 at home. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
BEATING THE GOOD TEAMS: The Cubs are 41-34 against teams that had a winning record going into games. At home, they are 25-14. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
FOUR IS THE NUMBER OF THE COUNTING: The Cubs have scored at least four runs in their last four games and in eight of their last 10. They have scored a total of 61 runs, an average of 6.10. For the season, their average is 5.35. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
PCA WATCH: Pete Crow-Armstrong needs five home runs to reach 50, a milestone reached only by two Cubs: Sammy Sosa, four times (66, 64, 63 and 50), and Hack Wilson, once (56). PCA homered five times in six games June 15-23, three times in overlapping spans Aug. 15-23 and four times in overlapping spans Aug. 24-30. He hit six in five games Aug. 29-Sept. 3. (Courtesy BCB’s JohnW53)
RUN WATCH: With their nine runs scored Sunday, the Cubs are at 835 runs scored for the season with six games remaining. Cubs teams have scored more runs than that just twice in a season since 1930: 847 in 1935 and 855 in 2008, so this year’s Cubs need just 21 runs over the six remaining games to become the second-highest scoring Cubs club in the Modern Era.
First nine starts: 2.32 ERA, 0.902 WHIP, only 5 HR in 54.1 innings Next seven starts: 7.41 ERA, 1.274 WHIP, 15 (!) HR in 37.2 innings Next seven starts: 1.77 ERA, 1.180 WHIP, only 5 HR in 40.2 innings Next four starts: 7.13 ERA, 1.528 WHIP, 8 (!) HR in 17.2 (!) innings Next three starts: 2.00 ERA, 0.778 WHIP, only 1 HR in 18 innings
Three of those guys are Cy Young candidates. The other two are DFA candidates. Which one will we get tonight?
The good news, perhaps, is that one of the most recent three starts was Sept. 4 against the Marlins in Miami, where he held them to three hits and one run, with no home runs. Just do that again, Shōta.
Janson Junk was Imanaga’s opponent in that Sept. 4 game and he held the Cubs to three hits and one run in five innings. The Cubs won the game off the Marlins bullpen.
Since then Junk has not gone past the third inning in two starts, one vs. the Mets (who scored eight runs off him) and one vs. the Diamondbacks, who he held to just one run. It appears he’s on a pitch limit of about 75 or so, as he hasn’t thrown more than that in about a month. So the patient Cubs should try to wait him out with walks and get him out early.
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The 2026 game discussion procedure has been changed, so please take note.
You’ll find the game preview, like this one, posted separately on the front page two hours before game time (90 minutes for some early day games following night games).
At the same time, a StoryStream containing the preview will also post on the front page, titled “Cubs vs. (Team) (Day of week/date) game threads.” It will contain every post related to that particular game.
The Live! (formerly “First Pitch”) thread will still post at five minutes to game time. It will also post to the front page. That will be the only live game discussion thread. After the game, the recap and Heroes and Goats will also live on the front page as separate posts.
You will also be able to find the preview, Live! thread, recap and Heroes and Goats in this section link. The StoryStream for each game can also be found in that section.
ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 19: Members of the Texas Rangers hold Stand Up To Cancer signs during the game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Saturday, September 19, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Courtney Kramer/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Texas Rangers lineup for September 22, 2026 against the New York Mets: starting pitchers are MacKenzie Gore for the Rangers and Sean Manaea for the Mets.
We begin the stretch of the final six games of the season. The games that will determine whether the Rangers win the American League West, or are staying home for the playoffs, or maybe, a sliver of a chance, they are the Wild Card team.
Are you a little nervous? I am.
The lineup:
Langford — LF
Seager — SS
Jung — 3B
Burger — 1B
Nimmo — RF
Duran — CF
Foscue — 2B
Diaz — DH
Jansen — C
7:05 p.m. Central time. Rangers are -127 favorites.
Barely two days after a foul ball caught him flush in the left eye and jeopardized his chances of playing in the postseason, Alex Bregman donned a helmet, grabbed a bat and tracked pitches off a machine.
Most notably, he was not placed on the injured list and Cubs manager Craig Counsell told reporters in Chicago that despite Bregman suffering facial fractures, the club hopes he will play in the final regular season series this weekend in Boston, and perhaps the club's opening-round playoff series in one week.
"I think Alex is going to be fine," Counsell told reporters Tuesday, Sept. 22. "He's planning on playing."
Bregman was last publicly seen Sunday, sprinting from the on-deck circle at Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park to the visiting clubhouse after a Michael Busch foul ball took one hop and drilled Bregman standing just a few yards away. An Instagram post showed how grim the damage was even as Bregman vowed a return.
The third baseman returned to Wrigley Field Tuesday, swelling in his face appearing to be down as he entered the stadium alongside baseball operations president Jed Hoyer. Eventually, he engaged in a light workout and headed to the club's Trajekt pitching machine − which mimics the deliveries of opposing pitchers − and tracked pitches, Counsell said.
Pic I took of Alex Bregman arriving at Wrigley Field this afternoon. He gave me a thumbs up.
I thought his eye and face looked better than in the Pic he posted yesterday.
It's a remarkable turnaround after a bloody and unsettling sequence just days earlier.
"That's a very positive sign," Counsell said, per the Chicago Tribune. "All things considered, he's in a good place."
The bigger questions − Can he swing? Will he be affected by a 100-mph fastball standing in the box? Is his face stable enough to play? − are still to come.
Yet for now, Bregman remains in play for the National League wild-card series that begins Tuesday, Sept. 29. The Cubs entered Sept. 22 needing just a win to clinch a spot, and they likely will host the Philadelphia Phillies in that best-of-three.
"He really is at a point where he can progress as tolerated," says Counsell.
Bregman, 32, hit 26 home runs and posted an .804 OPS in his first season with the Cubs after signing a five-year, $175 million contract in January.
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 20: Trevor Megill #29 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates with William Contreras #24 after a 3-0 victory against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 20, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
And just like that, the final week of the 2026 Major League Baseball regular season is upon us. Six games to go. Tonight could be a National League Division Series matchup preview as the Brewers finish their nine-game road trip against the Phillies.
Yes, the Brewers have the best record in baseball and the best in many other areas, but plenty still needs to be worked out. Perhaps the biggest glaring hole is the starting rotation, and what’s that going to look like now that Kyle Harrison has been having a rough stretch. Dustin May will dig into the mound for perhaps the final time this regular season, needing a solid outing to verify his spot either in the rotation or the bullpen.
As a starter, May has shown signs of greatness but also signs of “don’t come near my mound in the postseason.” During his time as a Brewer, May enters tonight with a 5.40 ERA in eight starts, not even making it out of the fourth inning in two of his last three starts. Tonight, though, he has one thing going for him: only two players have faced May in this Phillies lineup, and even the two players that have have only one hit combined.
The Phillies enter tonight neither technically eliminated nor having clinched a playoff berth; they currently own the third NL Wild Card spot by four games over the Arizona Diamondbacks. It’s been a bit of a rough month for the Phillies as they have gone 4-6 over their last 10 games, coming off a series split with the New York Mets. Sometimes, though, you need your rock there to settle things down and be consistent, and that’s what Zack Wheeler is expected to do tonight.
Wheeler has been around the league long enough that everyone in the Brewers’ lineup has seen him at least three times, with the exception of newcomers Cooper Pratt and Luis Lara. Wheeler has thrown seven innings in each of his last two starts, but more specifically, he threw seven innings of scoreless baseball against the Washington Nationals, striking out five and allowing only four hits.
As we approach game time, lineups have been set, and this Phillies offense has been one of the more consistent offenses in baseball. Only two players have a batting average north of .270, while fewer players have double-digit home runs than the Brewers. For the Crew, David Hamilton will make the start at third base, batting ninth, with Garrett Mitchell leading off the game.
First pitch at Citizens Bank Park is at 5:40 p.m., and you can watch the game on Brewers.TV and listen to it on WTMJ 620.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 05: Charlie McAvoy #73 of the Boston Bruins scuffles with Travis Konecny #11 of the Philadelphia Flyers during the first period at the Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 5, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Len Redkoles/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Welcome to another edition of preseason Bruins hockey, folks!
After starting the preseason with a 3-2 shootout win over Washington on Sunday night, the B’s will host the Philadelphia Flyers at TD Garden tonight.
The Flyers played their first preseason game last night, losing to Washington 5-2 in a game played in Hershey, PA.
One of Philly’s goalscorers in that game was none other than Jack Studnicka, now plying his trade with Philly.
In the “Feel Old Yet?” file, the other Flyers goalscorer was Cole Knuble. Yes, Mike Knuble’s son.
The Flyers played a very NHL-light lineup last night, with guys like Sean Couturier, Travis Sanheim, and Travis Konecny sitting out.
For the B’s, JJ Peterka and Will Borgen will make their Bruins debuts, while David Pastrnak, Morgan Geekie, and Elias Lindholm are all expected to participate as well.
Five weeks ago, David Stearns said he expected Andy Green to return to the front office after the season. Instead, the New York Mets interim manager is staying in the dugout with the "interim" title removed.
The Mets signed Green to a three-year deal as their full-time manager, the team announced on Tuesday, Sept. 22.
"Andy has connected with and pushed our players to perform, despite the disappointment of the season,” owners Steve and Alex Cohen said in a statement. “Over the last several months he has brought discipline, accountability and positivity to the clubhouse, attributes we were seeking in our next manager. We want to congratulate Andy, his wife, Jessica, and their three daughters. We are excited for his continued leadership in the dugout."
Green, 49, took over on June 26, the day the Mets fired Carlos Mendoza with the team at 34-47 and 13 games under .500. They've gone 37-38 since. That won't get the $370 million roster, second in baseball, anywhere near the postseason. The Mets are 71-85 going into Tuesday night's game at Texas and in last place in the National League East.
Nobody inside the organization had been pointing this way. On Aug. 17, Stearns, the team's president of baseball operations, said: "It's my expectation that he returns to the front office."
He went a step further.
"Andy's expectation is he's going to rejoin the front office," Stearns said, "and I have no reason to believe otherwise right now."
ESPN's Buster Olney reported last week that the plan still had not changed. There was even talk of Green becoming general manager, a job the Mets have left open since Billy Eppler resigned in October 2023.
Green has done this before. Green managed the San Diego Padres from 2016 to 2019 and went 274-366 with a rebuilding roster before he was fired in September 2019. He then spent four seasons as David Ross' bench coach with the Chicago Cubs. The Mets hired him before the 2024 season to run player development.
Some of the players he helped develop in that job are the ones he's been writing into the lineup. On Saturday, rookie outfielder Carson Benge got his 156th hit, a check-swing bunt single up the third-base line. That broke the franchise rookie record set by Pete Alonso set in 2019.
Mendoza went 206-199 in two-plus seasons. He took the Mets to the NL Championship Series in 2024, then watched a strong start fall apart in 2025, when they missed the playoffs.
Beckett Hamilton's first NHL preseason game was only the latest step in what has been an impressive month for the Colorado Avalanche prospect.
From development camp to his time in San Jose and, finally, his first taste of NHL competition, the 18-year-old forward has steadily given the Avalanche more reasons to be excited about what he could become.
Hamilton's latest opportunity came Sunday at Ball Arena, where the Avalanche defeated the Utah Mammoth 4-1. Playing alongside established NHL talent, including Martin Necas, Hamilton scored his first preseason goal and showed enough of his offensive skill to leave another positive impression.
Hamilton opened the scoring at 8:54 of the second period after finding himself in the right place at the right time.
Utah defenseman Maveric Lamoureux attempted to clear the puck from the zone, but Necas knocked down the pass and immediately fed Hamilton. The young forward made no mistake, lifting the puck over the goaltender to give Colorado a 1-0 lead.
It was the kind of goal that came from simply staying involved in the play and refusing to let off the gas pedal.
Hamilton may have looked overwhelmed at times by the pace, but he continued to push through it. Had he not kept battling, he likely would not have been in position to capitalize when the puck came his way.
That persistence has been a recurring theme throughout his time with the Avalanche this month.
Hamilton scored in Colorado's 7-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks' prospects on Sept. 12 before finding the net in the shootout against the Vegas Golden Knights' rookies two days later. Vegas ultimately won 6-5, leaving Colorado with a 1-0-1 record at the tournament.
New Colorado Eagles head coach Jussi Ahokas was behind the bench for those games and came away impressed with what he saw from Hamilton.
Those qualities have continued to stand out as Hamilton has moved through each stage of his first experience with the Avalanche organization. His offensive instincts have been noticeable, but so has his willingness to stay involved when things don't necessarily go his way.
That caught the attention of Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar as well.
“He’s a young kid,” Bednar told Colorado Hockey Now’s Aarif Deen and other reporters Tuesday. “He’s got top-nine potential, I think. That’s what he has. He’s a skilled player.”
Bednar also wanted Hamilton to experience the difference between playing against younger competition and trying to make plays against established NHL players.
That's why the Avalanche put him on a line with players such as Necas, who's coming off his first 100-point season in the league.
"I wanted to play with some skill and I wanted to play against other teams' top guys, so he could kind of feel like where he needs to grow and what he's got," Bednar said.
Hamilton got a firsthand look at that difference Sunday.
"You could tell in the game that everything was happening fast for him," Bednar said.
There were moments when Hamilton appeared to be processing the game rather than reacting to it.
"Sometimes it gets a little quick for him," Bednar said. "You can see him thinking and not reacting. And he was the same way in the game."
That's just a part of the process, but what carried significant weight for the Avalanche was that Hamilton continued to compete, found ways to create offense and made the most of his opportunity.
Bednar said the coaching staff, including Ahokas, was impressed with what Hamilton showed in San Jose, where he stood out as a noticeable impact player. That carried into training camp, where the young forward continued to make an impression.
"I talked to Jussi about him, and everyone raved about his rookie camp," Bednar said. "So I thought he did a nice job in practices."
Now, that first stretch with the Avalanche is over for Hamilton.
The club reassigned him Tuesday morning to the WHL's Red Deer Rebels, where he'll continue his development after making the most of his opportunity in Colorado.
Bednar said Hamilton is aware that there is still work to do before he's ready for the NHL.
"He's got a good head on his shoulders," Bednar said. "I think he's aware that he's a little ways away from getting to the NHL."
That's not necessarily a bad thing.
"It was nice to see him score in his first game," Bednar said. "We send him off back to junior on a good note and a good experience in training camp."
For Hamilton, it's an opportunity to continue growing his game and take the next step in his development. For the Avalanche, the focus remains on winning another Stanley Cup, but they may have another promising depth piece on the way.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 2: Andy Green #70 of the New York Mets looks on after a pitching change against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on September 2, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Parker S. Freedman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Since being hired as the team’s interim manager, Andy Green has continuously stated that he was not interested in having the full-time gig, citing his family as the primary reason. Thus, the expectation has been that the Mets would conduct a complete search for a new manager in the offseason. Well, that impending search has ended before it even began, as the team has given Green a three-year deal to serve as the full-time manager.
Green, the former Padres manager who had been serving as Senior Vice President of Player Development in the front office, has been in the dugout since the team fired Carlos Mendoza at the end of June following a disastrous start to the season. While the team has not exactly been world-beaters in the time since then, they have generally played better with Green in charge (to the tune of a 37-38 record), and he has earned plaudits for his handling of the media and his willingness to challenge his players. In the press release announcing the deal, Green addressed his previous reticence to accept the full-time job:
I am excited and humbled to officially be named manager of the New York Mets. When I accepted the interim role, I didn’t anticipate it becoming permanent, but the more time I spent with our players and staff, the clearer it became that this is where my passion and experience could make the greatest impact. That realization led to many conversations with my family, and together we agreed this is the right opportunity at the right time. I want to thank Steve and Alex for the love, ambition and commitment with which they lead this organization, and David for the trust he has placed in me. I believe deeply in what we can build together, and I’m honored to continue serving our players, this organization and the amazing Mets fans.
It is worth noting, of course, that Green’s job next season will be fundamentally different than the one he has been doing these past few months. We will see how he handles the pressure of managing a team that is expected to win versus one that had virtually already played itself out of the playoff race and was just navigating its way through the end of the season. Nevertheless, the 2027 team will now have some familiarity in the dugout (this presumably includes a number of the new coaches the team hired this past offseason, who will likely stick around with Green) as they look to rebound from a disappointing campaign.
Multiple, very obvious reasons made it clear it was time for the Clippers and Kawhi Leonard to part ways, but one kind of flew under the radar: Los Angeles wasn't about to give Leonard, 35, the kind of extension he wanted.
The Toronto Raptors will.
In a deal that was expected, Leonard and the Raptors have agreed to a two-year, $115 million contract extension for the two-time Finals MVP, a deal first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN. The second year of the extension, 2028-29, is a player option, but Leonard also waived his trade kicker.
While this extension was expected, and the two sides stayed in contact all summer, it was delayed because Toronto put the trade of Leonard on hold for a couple of months. It wanted to see the outcome of the NBA’s investigation into the Clippers for circumventing the salary cap to get Leonard "no-show" endorsement deals, before signing off. Leonard got off with a slap on the wrist (a $700,000 fine), and the trade went through just more than a week ago. The extension was always likely to follow.
Leonard has said he wants to finish his career in Toronto and this contract would take him through his age 38 season. This extension kicks in for the 2027-28 season, Leonard will make $50.3 million this season in the final year of a deal signed with the Clippers (which drew a lot of attention).
This is largely a bet on Leonard's health. When he is consistently on the court, as he was last season when he played 65 games — averaging 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 steals per game and still playing elite defense — he is a top-10 player in the league. However, in the previous eight seasons, Leonard played in 65+ games just once. He has played in Toronto before, leading the franchise to its 2019 championship, and he trusts the medical staff there, which kept him fresh that year for a playoff run.
Toronto adds Leonard to a stacked roster with another All-NBA-level player in Scottie Barnes, plus RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a group of solid role players. If Leonard stays healthy, Toronto could be a top-four seed and make some noise in the East. But it's all a bet on Leonard's health.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 19: Christian Scott #45 of the New York Mets leaves the game during their game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on September 19, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets placed one right-handed pitcher on the injured list and activated another before Tuesday night’s series-opening game in Arlington against the Texas Rangers. Christian Scott landed on the 15-day IL with left knee inflammation, ending his year, while Devin Williams returns after being sidelined with a right shoulder strain since August 8.
Scott returned from Tommy John surgery on April 23 and proceeded to put together a fine sophomore season for the Mets. In 23 starts, he posted a 3.85 ERA with 134 strikeouts and 47 walks in 110 innings pitched. As he soared past his previous career-high in innings during a professional season, the 27-year-old began to falter, as he put up a 5.30 ERA over his final seven starts. His last outing came on Saturday afternoon, when he allowed three runs in 4.2 innings in the Mets’ 10-3 win over the Phillies at Citi Field.
Williams’ first season in Queens has been a mixed bag. The Airbender-brandishing reliever struggled in mid-April, allowing eight runs while recording just six outs in a span of four appearances, but was dominant from that point through late June. He struck out 51 batters in 38.2 innings pitched with the help of a 39.0% chase rate and 34.9% whiff rate, and has successfully converted 16 of 19 save opportunities – all positive signs – yet his 4.66 ERA and 1.66 WHIP aren’t exactly what the Mets had in mind when they signed the veteran to a three-year deal last offseason.
In Williams’ absence, Kodai Senga has emerged as an interim closer of sorts, converting seven consecutive saves to begin his closing career before Pete Alonso took him deep last Tuesday night. In his most recent appearance on Sunday, Senga surrendered three runs while recording just one out against the Phillies. Senga has six games remaining (three in Texas and three in Washington) to bounce back and finish strong out of the bullpen, while Williams will get a final taste of big-league action before the offseason.
There is still plenty of work for Suniev to do before the Flames finalize their opening-night roster.
Like many young offensive players, his work away from the puck has been an area of emphasis. The coaching staff gave him specific areas to focus on during the offseason, particularly in the defensive zone.
“It was mostly defensive zone, playing without the puck,” Suniev said. “But they also wanted me to continue doing what I can do with the puck and performing in the offensive zone.”
That balance will be important as Suniev looks to turn his offensive ability into a legitimate NHL opportunity.
He has appeared in seven NHL games with Calgary and picked up his first career point with an assist against the Utah Mammoth on April 12.
Now, Suniev is entering camp with a little more experience and a clear opportunity in front of him.
The Flames still have preseason games remaining and there are only so many roster spots available, but his early production has put his name into the conversation.
